Desizeme - Dieting, Weight Loss, Calorie Control

How to Reduce Added Sugar in Your Diet by Half - WHO Guideline < 5 %

The World Health Organization has recommended that people should aim for just 5% of their daily calories from added sugar, which is half what most people eat now (about 10%).

This is equivalent to 50g of sugar for women and 70g for men.

In terms of teaspoons, this is 13 teaspoons for women and 15 teaspoons for men.

In terms of total sugars in foods, not just added sugar, the general recommendation is about 90-100g (22 teaspoons of sugar; 380 Calories).

But what is the best way to cut down on the amount of added sugar in your diet and your children's diet?

The best place to start is by examining where the added sugar in your diet comes from, and what you can do to lower sugar intake by changing your diet.

Sources of Added Sugar in the Diet - Age Groups

Average Added Sugar in the Diet of Various Age Groups

Looking at the back of a processed food packet such as breakfast cereal, snack bars or soft drinks will often show the amount of sugar in a serving of the food as well as total sugars and calories from sugar
. A good way to compare foods is to see how many teaspoons of sugar is contained in a serving of these foods.

There are some glaring examples such as popular sodas and fruit juice drinks. One 330ml can of regular Coca-Cola or Pepsi contains 35g (about 9 teaspoons) of sugar, all of it added sugar. But there are many surprises as well. One of the worse is sweetened orange juice which can contain 7 teaspoons of sugar in a single glass. Processed breakfast cereals also have very high sugar levels with Honey Smacks having 14 teaspoons of sugar in a single bowl. Fruit Loops style cereals have 11 and Cocoa Puffs 9 teaspoons of added sugar.

One way to explore how to reduce your intake of added sugar is to look at where most of the added sugar in your diet, and your family members diet, is coming from.

The image shows how the amount of added sugar consumed varies with age groups.

Added sugar in common foods. Source: Public DomainAdded Sugar in the Average Diet of Various Age Groups. Source: Modified by author

The key points are:

All age groups exceed the recommended maximum level of than the 11% level, but children consume excessive amounts of added sugar.

Conclusion

Clearly, small changes in diet and care in choosing low sugar alternatives can easily halve the amount of added sugar in the diet.

Sugar is added to most processed foods - Lots and Lots of Sugar we don't need and want. Learn how to halve the amount of added sugar in your diet and your family's diet. Source: Public DomainThe amount of added sugar in many foods will shock you - even so called healthy foods and drinks . Source: Public DomainMost of the added sugar in many diets comes from beverages. This means it is relatively easy to cut down, by simply consuming less of these drinks. See more information about the added sugar content of foods here.. Source: Public DomainDiscover how to halve the amount of added sugar you consume everyday as recommended by WHO and the American Heart Association. Source: Original Image by John AndersonMany treats such as these cup cakes are stuffed with sugar. Source: Original Image by John AndersonTreats are very tempting. Source: Original Image by John AndersonMany drinks contain vast amounts of sugar. Source: Original Image by John AndersonIf you drink sodas you are pouring sugar into your mouth. Source: Original Image by John AndersonAdded sugars come in various forms - check the list of ingredients. Source: Original Image by John Anderson